Minister Foley has set out Fianna Fáil’s transformative plans for the education sector that will increase teacher numbers, expand the School Transport Service, reduce class sizes, prioritise special education and introduce therapies in school.
The Kerry candidate unveiled details of the party’s education policy at Harcourt Terrace Educate Together National School in Dublin on Tuesday morning.
The party has pledged that it will:
- Expand the School Transport Service to provide 100,000 more places by 2030.
- Reduce the Pupil Teacher Ratio to 19:1.
- Set up a new Small Schools Initiative to provide greater support to these schools.
- Roll out the first national Therapy Service in Education to support students with SEN.
- Invest in School Buildings to ensure modern facilities.
Commenting Minister Foley said: “Fianna Fáil is the party of education. We have led every major expansion of education in Ireland, and if returned to government we will build on this proud legacy.
“We have made sustained progress in the last four and a half years. There are now 9,000 more teachers working across the school sector than in 2020. We now have the lowest ever pupil-teacher ratio, €5 billion has been invested in school buildings, we’ve introduced Ireland’s first free schoolbooks scheme and expanded the free hot school meals scheme. But we want to do more.
“We have transformative plans for the next government that include increasing school bus spaces by 100,000 by 2030, reforming the Irish language curriculum, reducing the pupil teacher ratio to 19:1, increasing capitation funding by 40% and setting up a new Small Schools Initiative that will expand educational opportunities in communities across the country.
“We will roll out a range of therapies for children with special needs that will be delivered in schools and we will also provide additional aid to help Deis students because every child deserves to reach their full potential.
“We will also continue to crack down on smartphones by banning them during the entire school day and requiring online service providers to verify users’ age before allowing access."
Minister Foley concluded: “We must always have greater ambition and vision for our students and the education sector. That is why Fianna Fáil has a comprehensive range of plans across every element of the sector.
“If re-elected we will increase funding and staffing for the sector and improve the student experience.
“Education must be accessible and affordable for all.”